Alex Trelinski
TWO robbers were caught red-handed with a reception bell which they had stolen from an abandoned Murcia City hotel.
The Arco de San Juan de Murcia closed its doors in February after 30 years in business.
The owners had unsuccessfully tried for years to find a buyer and had been clocking up monthly losses of over €30,000 on a property reputedly valued at around €11 million.
The unexpected guests arrived this Monday(August 10) at around 3.30am when the security alarm was triggered by two Spaniards aged 29 and 46.
CCTV images monitored by a security company showed the men in the building and the Policia Nacional was despatched to arrest them.
The duo had forced their way through a window but were soon joined in the reception area by the agents, who found the thieves cowering behind two armchairs in attempt to escape their clutches.
The only stolen item was the bell from the hotel’s reception area which they put into a backpack.
The two men were subsequently charged with robbery.
